Financial institutions typically operate branch offices staffed by tellers who are available to carry out transactions for customers. These tellers use computerized systems to access the appropriate account databases and direct and regulate the flow of transactions. Teller systems traditionally send account and transaction information linearly to a transaction authorization host system, and the authorization is passed back from the host system to the teller system, where a receipt is printed.
Some financial institutions encourage or require tellers to probe customers for additional sales opportunities while a customer is “at the window” for a transaction. The ability of the teller to be effective in this endeavor may be limited by the lack of detailed information about the customer's qualifications. However, if a customer expresses interest in whatever the teller is offering, the customer can be referred to a sales associate, loan officer, or the like to discuss the opportunity with the customer in more detail, as well as, in the case of a credit product, determine the customer's qualifications.